Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Black-capped Tanager (Tangara heinei) - HBW 16, p. 239

French: Calliste à calotte noire German: Heinetangare Spanish: Tangara Coroninegra

Taxonomy: P.[rocnias] Heinei Cabanis, 1851, Colombia.
Molecular-genetic data indicate that this species, T. phillipsi, T. viridicollis and T. argyrofenges form a species group, and that T. cyanoptera is sister to this group. Present species and T. phillipsi sometimes thought to form a superspecies; has been suggested that the two might be better treated as conspecific, but most authors argue that, because of the wide geographical distance between them, as well as plumage differences, they are best regarded as separate species. Monotypic.

Distribution: Colombia in Santa Marta Mts, all three Andean ranges (including E slope of E Andes), and on W slope in Ecuador, also Sierra de Perijá (Colombia–Venezuela border) and mountains of N Venezuela (including coastal cordillera E to Distrito Federal, interior cordillera in N Guárico, Cerro El Cerrón on Falcón–Zulia–Lara border, and Andes from S Lara S to Táchira).